The primary difference between the Blu-Ray (BD) format and regular DVD format is that the Blu-Ray players use a blue laser, while regular DVD players use a red laser to play the discs. Blu-Ray player prices are already coming down, making the transition less painless for those looking for better picture quality when they watch movies at home.

Resolution

The biggest selling point for Blu-Ray discs are their unmatched image resolution. Image resolution is determined by the number of horizontal and vertical lines, and the more lines the more detailed the image will be. Older DVDs are between 480 520 resolution, which are relatively decent for older televisions. However, many people are upgrading to larger HDTVs, and when a regular DVD is played on one of these screens the image doesn’t look that great.

Blu-Rays are a much higher resolution, 1080. These discs are designed for use on HDTVs. Blu-Rays also store a lot more information than a regular DVD, about 25 GB of data compared to less than 5 GB for a regular DVD.

Compatibility

Unlike the switch from VHS to DVD, you won’t have to purge your entire video collection to catch up with the new technology if you decide to get a Blu-Ray player, because the Blu-Ray player will still play standard DVDs. However, a regular DVD player will not be able to play a Blu-Ray disc because of the inability of the red laser to read the Blu-Ray.

Upscaling

Many standard DVD players now come with an upscaling feature, which tries to match the pixel resolution of the HDTV for a better picture with a regular DVD. This is done by sending a 1080p signal to the television with little distortion. However, upscaling a standard DVD will not match the resolution of a Blu-Ray.

More and more movies and even television shows are being released on Blu-Ray, from new releases to older films. Prices on the discs themselves are also coming down (some  of this year’s Boxing Day sales had a wide selection of great movies on Blu-Ray for as low as $4.99!), making a Blu-Ray player a wise investment for serious movie-watchers.